This health belt can provide early warning of heart failure
Heart disease is the most common cause of death, not only in industrialized countries, but worldwide. Many deaths from heart failure could be avoided if the patient received medical attention sooner, but people are often unaware of impending heart failure until it actually happens. However, there are physiological indicators that become detectable before heart failure. This wearable "health belt" contains sensors that monitor these indicators to warn of impending heart failure so patients can seek vital medical attention.
This health belt has a variety of sensors to monitor key physiological indicators, including chest impedance, heart rate, EKG activity, and motion activity. None of these would reliably match future heart failure without numerous false positives and negatives, but together they provide a clear picture. The sensor array, which is portable and looks like a cumberbund, communicates via Bluetooth with the user's phone. When the signs of heart failure appear, their phone can either alert them to see a doctor or notify a third party, such as a family member or doctor.
The team used an Arduino Uno board to build their prototype health belt. It connects to several sensors: a Peripheral Module Interface (PMOD) impedance analyzer (AI), an AD8232 ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor, a MAX30105 heart rate sensor, and an ADXL362 accelerometer. The power comes from a 9V battery and an HC06 module manages the Bluetooth communication.
Further testing is needed to determine the effectiveness of the health belt, as the research team was unable to collect data from people with actual heart failure. But early tests with a subject mimicking similar body movements and breathing were promising.
Image credit: Iqbal, S.M.A., Mahgoub, I., Du, E.et al. Development of a wearable belt with integrated sensors to measure several physiological parameters related to heart failure. Scientific Representative 12, 20264 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23680-1
Heart disease is the most common cause of death, not only in industrialized countries, but worldwide. Many deaths from heart failure could be avoided if the patient received medical attention sooner, but people are often unaware of impending heart failure until it actually happens. However, there are physiological indicators that become detectable before heart failure. This wearable "health belt" contains sensors that monitor these indicators to warn of impending heart failure so patients can seek vital medical attention.
This health belt has a variety of sensors to monitor key physiological indicators, including chest impedance, heart rate, EKG activity, and motion activity. None of these would reliably match future heart failure without numerous false positives and negatives, but together they provide a clear picture. The sensor array, which is portable and looks like a cumberbund, communicates via Bluetooth with the user's phone. When the signs of heart failure appear, their phone can either alert them to see a doctor or notify a third party, such as a family member or doctor.
The team used an Arduino Uno board to build their prototype health belt. It connects to several sensors: a Peripheral Module Interface (PMOD) impedance analyzer (AI), an AD8232 ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor, a MAX30105 heart rate sensor, and an ADXL362 accelerometer. The power comes from a 9V battery and an HC06 module manages the Bluetooth communication.
Further testing is needed to determine the effectiveness of the health belt, as the research team was unable to collect data from people with actual heart failure. But early tests with a subject mimicking similar body movements and breathing were promising.
Image credit: Iqbal, S.M.A., Mahgoub, I., Du, E.et al. Development of a wearable belt with integrated sensors to measure several physiological parameters related to heart failure. Scientific Representative 12, 20264 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23680-1
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